If the title isn’t enough indication of what is about to come, then I feel you should stop now because you must be going crazy! What we have today is indeed a very special whisky that is probably the most unknown yet surprisingly sexy and tasty blended whisky we have tried to date. The Grand Old Parr 12 yo hails from Scotland and is owned by the men and women over at Diageo.
What’s interesting about this particular whisky is that it is not a common shelf item and was reserved mainly for overseas markets like Japan and South America, making it a rare find indeed. According to the Whisky Exchange it is now a discontinued line so each dram counts now so you should all feel very special knowing we cracked open this bad boy to taste just for all you readers (and for our own personal enjoyment of course!). Now onto the tasting!!!
Alcohol Content: 40%
Bottling Status: Discontinued
Age: 12yo
Country of Origin: Scotland
Barreling: Blended Scotch Whisky
Nose: The nose on the Grand Old Parr 12 yo is quite interesting and is very flavorful. There are definitely hints of raisins and dried fruits with some hints of caramel and peat but my amateur nose may be trying to smell what isn’t there.
Palate: On the tongue is where this whisky really shines. It’s full of flavor and has an instant vanilla and caramel taste with some peat thrown in for good measure. Although it is a little spicy it does not have a lot of burn and one way of describing the palate is clean which for a blended whisky was a big surprise to me!
The Finish: The finish for me was spicy and very woody but not overpowering. The taste really sits in your mouth and doesn’t get killed off by a lot of burn so it’s definitely a whisky that you can enjoy without forgetting what the taste is right after you’ve finished your dram.
Drinking Tips: For me personally, I really enjoyed this straight without any need for anything else. If you really need to you can try it on the rocks or with just a splash of water to try and bring out those subtle notes that you may discover but I honestly believe this whisky is great on its own and thoroughly enjoyable on a cold winters night to keep you nice and toasty warm.